Return to Sender
by ijustkeepswimming
Summary: Set just before Joey should have been scheduled to return to Charlie's waiting arms - why didn't she come back? And in this story, as opposed to the show, Charlie actually notices her absence! Now there's a novel idea...
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! Welcome to my new fic. It's a thirteen part story, set at the time when Joey SHOULD have returned! Three months is forever! You got that right, Charlie Buckton. But this story is about why Joey might not have returned. And where the girls could go from there. I hope you enjoy it. Feedback is always very much appreciated! As usual, this is a bit of a short chapter but there will be more soon. Love, IJKS xxx_

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Chapter One

"So, do you want to sign on for another three months?"

Joey Collins chewed her lip, trying to decide how to answer her boss's question. She'd never planned on staying out at sea for longer than this but now it didn't seem as if there was anything worth returning to Summer Bay for. She'd so desperately wished she would be going home, ready to start afresh with the woman she loved. After three excruciating months apart, she'd hoped the space between them would make them both realise how much they loved each other. But now, Joey knew that Charlie Buckton didn't love her. She wondered if she'd ever loved her. And it broke her heart.

"Yes," she said with a big, brave smile. "I'd love to."

"Excellent!" David Bateman said. "I'm glad. You're my best worker, Joey. I really think you could go far in this business."

* * *

"So, what are you going to do?" Ruby asked curiously.

She and Charlie were sitting down to lunch together. Joey was due to be home soon. Charlie had checked down at the docks and her trawler would be returning in three days time. The police officer was scared and excited. Three months apart had felt like the forever she'd feared it would be and she'd missed Joey every day. She'd slipped up two weeks ago and shared a kiss with Angelo but when he'd tried to make more of it, Charlie had firmly told him no. She still felt guilty about it and she was preparing to tell Joey everything. Honesty was definitely the best policy and she had learnt that the hard way. She just hoped that if Joey could forgive her for sleeping with Hugo, something she wasn't entirely sure she would have, that she could also forgive her for kissing Angelo.

"Well, she's docking at midday on Tuesday," Charlie said. "So I'm going to make sure I'm there waiting for her."

"And you want to make things work this time?" Ruby checked.

Charlie nodded and smiled a little anxiously.

"I'll be waiting with open arms and flowers, ready to lay my heart on the line and tell her exactly how I feel. And then I just have to hope that she's missed me enough to take me back."

Ruby put a hand on her sister's arm and smiled her encouragement.

"She loves you, Charlie," she said. "She went away to sort herself out, clear her head, heal her heart. But she wouldn't have given you a time limit if she didn't think she could forgive you and be with you again."

Charlie nodded, hoping she was right. But the fact that Joey hadn't been in touch at all during her time away, made her worry. There hadn't been one phone call, text, letter or email. Nothing. It scared Charlie to think that she might have lost her forever.


	2. Chapter 2

_All I can say is poor Charlie! But I hope you enjoy the chapter anyway. Thanks to those who have (and will – fingers crossed) review. I always get nervous about a new fic so your feedback is greatly appreciated. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Two**

"How do I look?" Charlie asked nervously.

She gave a little twirl, hoping that Ruby would like her outfit. She'd gone for skinny, black jeans, a low cut retro t-shirt and her leather jacket. Her hair was loose, the way Joey had always told her she liked it.

"You look beautiful," Ruby told her.

Charlie looked worried.

"Are you sure?" she asked nervously. "I don't want to screw this up."

"I think we can say pretty certainly that Joey finds you attractive!" Ruby giggled.

Charlie blushed. Licking her lips, she studied her reflection in the mirror and checked none of her make-up had smeared.

"Okay, I'm going!" she said, hugging Ruby goodbye and dashing out of the house.

"Um... Charlie!" Ruby called helplessly.

The police officer hurried back in and grabbed the flowers she'd bought but left behind. Ruby laughed as her sister headed back out again.

* * *

Angelo Rosetta sat in his patrol car, looking out to sea and drinking coffee. He was mostly working. But he was also very aware that today was the day Joey Collins was returning to Summer Bay and that Charlie was itching to go and meet her. Angelo wanted to be around to support her in case anything went wrong. They'd kissed two weeks ago. Since his difficult return to Summer Bay, having been excused over killing Jack, Angelo had found a lot of solace in Charlie. Even when she had denied forgiveness, knowing that the town's hatred of him was impeding his investigation into the shark attack, Charlie had protected him. And through that, they had become friends again and the bond that had always existed between them had reignited. He'd known Charlie was dealing with a particularly difficult break up and at first she had refused to talk to him about it. But their sadness had fused their friendship until the other week when they had shared a kiss. Angelo had been happy for the first time in a long time but he'd been disappointed when Charlie had pulled away and told him that nothing could happen between them because she was in love with someone else. She'd promptly broken down and told him the whole story. And now it seemed that she was desperate to try and make things right with Joey.

* * *

Charlie waited on the docks, her heart racing and her breath a little shallow as she searched the horizon looking for Joey's trawler to appear. She clutched the dozen red roses tightly in her hands, hoping that Joey would like them, that she would see her and fall in love with her again. Charlie didn't think she had ever been so nervous before in her life. Smiling, she saw the boat appear in the distance. She stepped forward but kept far enough away that she would interfere with anything while the trawler pulled up. Minutes passed and she watched the crew secure the boat and step off, stretching their legs. Charlie's heart rose into her throat. She couldn't see Joey anywhere. She waited until it looked like everyone had stepped off board. Licking her lips, Charlie stepped forward.

"Excuse me?" she said. "Is Joey Collins on this boat?"

"She was," the man replied. "But she requested to get off at Greendale. We'll be swinging round to collect her on the way back."

"Oh," Charlie said, her voice full of disappointment.

"Sorry," the man said, walking off.

The roses hung limply by Charlie's side as she watched him continue on with his business. She felt like her heart was breaking all over again as she realised that after three months away, Joey still didn't forgive her and she didn't want to be with her. Feeling humiliated and devastated, Charlie hung her head and trudged back up the wharf.

* * *

Sitting in his car, Angelo saw Charlie walking away from the seafront looking miserable. His heart panged with some sadness on her behalf. He wound down his window and called her name. Charlie looked up sharply, feeling like she was about to cry. Angelo smiled kindly at her and she approached the car.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Tears stung Charlie's eyes and she lost the will to fight them.

"She's not coming home," she said.

Angelo climbed out of the car and pulled Charlie gently into his arms. She rested against him and sobbed, still clinging onto her flowers.


	3. Chapter 3

_Fingers crossed, I won't be able to update tomorrow as I am going out for the day. But unfortunately, that depends on if this stupid flu goes away in time. I fear it is cutting it a bit fine. But if it goes, I will be sitting in the audience of Britain's Got Talent. So I thought I would do tomorrow's update today instead. I hope you like it – and that you don't hate Charlie too much. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Three**

Joey was staying overnight in a motel. She felt utterly miserable. Of all the homecomings she had imagined, this hadn't been it. She hadn't even made it as far as home. She was miles down the coast and at this point, she didn't think she'd ever go home again. Staying out at sea for the rest of her life was a very attractive plan. She enjoyed being at one with the waves and with an all male crew, she wasn't likely to fall in love and get her heart broken. Sighing heavily, Joey sat on the edge of the bed and toyed with the letter in her hand. She hadn't quite managed to get rid of it yet. To do that would really mean saying goodbye and staying away from Summer Bay at this point was hard enough. Shoving the piece of paper into a drawer, Joey flopped back on the bed and attempted to close her eyes on the world.

* * *

Having done plenty of overtime since his return to the Bay, Angelo had opted to take the day off in order to look after Charlie. They headed into town and grabbed some lunch before taking it to the beach to eat it. Sitting side by side on the sand, Charlie was lost in her own thoughts.

"Talk to me, Charlie," Angelo said softly.

His friend sighed heavily, closing her eyes and putting her sandwich down.

"I just... I really thought she'd come," she said sadly. "I really thought we could try again."

"Well, maybe if she's the kind of person to leave you hanging like that," Angelo ventured. "Maybe she's not worth it."

"That's the thing," Charlie said desperately. "She is. She's so worth it. Angelo, she's the most incredible person I've ever known. I love her so much and I..."

"But if you loved her that much..."

"Why did I cheat on her?" Charlie challenged.

She glared at him and he apologised. Charlie shook her head.

"I'm the one who's sorry," she sighed. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. I've messed so many things up but this is the worst. I finally had what everyone looks for. I had someone who loved me, who wanted me, who was looking forward to spend the rest of her life with me and I... I screwed it up because she wasn't the person I expected her to be. I threw away the best thing that's ever happened to me just because she was a girl and I didn't want to be labelled a lesbian or whatever. But the thing is... if I'm in love with her, I can't be completely straight, can I? I must be bi or something. Or at least have the capacity to love beyond the realms of gender. But I couldn't accept it and I lost her. I hate myself so much for losing her."

Charlie began to cry again. Angelo put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Even if she wasn't going to take me back," Charlie sobbed. "I wish I just could have seen her again. Talked to her. Held her. Even just looked at her from afar. And now... now I'm never going to get that chance, am I? She's gone. Forever."

She cried harder, letting herself fall completely into Angelo's arms, wishing that there was something, anything she could do to take her pain away.

* * *

Joey forced herself out of her room in order to get some dinner. She chose a beachside restaurant but mostly only picked at her food, wondering if she had made a bad choice. Perhaps she should have gone back to Summer Bay and talked to Charlie one last time. If she'd have done that, she might have even been able to change her mind. _No_, Joey told herself firmly. _You've lost enough dignity over Charlie Buckton. Don't make it worse_. She looked at the envelope she'd carried out with her for confirmation that she had made the right decision.

* * *

Charlie continued to cry, although she had got her more violent sobs under control.

"Sorry," she said, wiping her eyes. "The last thing you need is me weeping all over you."

She forced a smile. Angelo returned it and stroked her cheek.

"It's okay," he said. "That's what I'm here for. I care about you, Charlie."

She looked at him sadly and saw the kindness in his eyes. She wished so badly that she could be sitting here with Joey now. Her self hatred grew.

* * *

Ruby finished school and walked home with Xavier, Nicole and Annie. The teenagers piled into the house Ruby shared with Leah, VJ and her sister.

"Charlie?" she called out.

Silence met them. She grinned.

"She must be busy!" she said.

Xavier laughed and sat on the couch. Ruby curled up in his lap and explained to Nicole and Annie that Joey was coming home today.

"You should have seen her," she said. "She was so excited. I hope it's gone well. She was pretty nervous about the whole thing."

Annie looked a little uncomfortable and remained very quiet. Nicole smiled.

"Do you think they're going to make a go of things this time?" she asked.

"I hope so," Ruby said. "Joey said that she was going away for three months to clear her head. Then she wanted to come back and see if she and Charlie could make things work. I hope they have. It spun me out at first but they were so happy together, even if it was brief."

* * *

Charlie fell back onto Angelo's bed, all the while wondering what the hell she was doing. He trailed kisses all over her, hands wandering and his breathing a little laboured. Charlie closed her eyes, making the right noises and doing the right movements but inside she felt like she was dying. Joey didn't love her. She'd waited three long months, trying to make herself perfect for the woman she loved. And she'd never come. She'd left Charlie standing on the wharf, sad and alone like she had on the day she left. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks and she accepted Angelo's exuberant kisses. He didn't notice anything but his own desire.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry I disappeared on you. It was a combination of an invasion of the 3D world and battling with flu. It's been two and a half weeks AND I had the jab. It's just getting boring now. But here is what would have been Saturday's update. Things are looking bleak for our girls at the moment but you know the rules. In the world of fanfic, CJ are only ever allowed a happy ending! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Four**

The following morning, Charlie crept out of Angelo's apartment without waking him. She grabbed Joey's roses from the kitchen table and headed down to the wharf on foot. The trawler Joey was meant to be on was long gone and with it was every hope Charlie had had of a reunion. She regretted sleeping with Angelo. She wasn't entirely sure what it had achieved except that she now felt like a dirty cheat all over again.

"You didn't cheat," she reminded herself. "Joey doesn't love you. She's probably out there wishing she'd never met you in the first place."

She threw the roses, one at a time, into the water and watched them get caught up in the tide.

* * *

Joey was ready to start work again the following morning and was relieved when the trawler arrived to take her far away, at least for another three months.

"Miss me?" she asked cheekily when she hopped on board.

"You bet!" one of her colleagues laughed. "I don't know how we coped!"

Joey giggled and headed below deck into the tiny little cabin she called home.

* * *

"Well, hello, Little Miss Juliet!" Ruby teased when Charlie arrived home in the same clothes from the day before. "Dare I ask where you've been?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Charlie said unhappily, stumbling towards the kettle in a bid to make some coffee.

Not taking the hint, Ruby grinned and pressed on.

"So, where's Joey? Has she gone to see her brother or...?"

"She's on her trawler," Charlie snapped, not looking at her little sister.

"What?" Ruby asked in sheer confusion.

Charlie ignored her and continued making her drink, clanking every item that little bit too loudly.

"Charlie?" Ruby persisted. "Charlie?"

She tapped her sister on the shoulder. Charlie spun round angrily.

"What?" she yelled.

"Charlie, what happened?" Ruby asked gently.

Charlie tried to retain hold of her anger but seeing the love in Ruby's eyes, broke her. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she crumbled into her little sister's arms.

"She's didn't come," she sobbed.

"What?" Ruby squeaked. "But..."

Charlie cried harder. Ruby held her close.

"Oh, Charlie," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

* * *

Angelo woke up alone. He wasn't surprised but he was disappointed and he hoped that Charlie didn't regret what had happened between them. He'd known at the time that Charlie's head had been full of Joey. Even when Roman had broken Charlie's heart before, it hadn't been this bad. They'd slept together then too. Charlie had been lost over her break up and nearly drowning and Angelo had been broken over Belle and being accused of an assault he wasn't guilty of. They'd had a fling until the truth about Jack's death had come out. And once he'd returned, he'd been hopeful that he and Charlie could start up again. But until last night, aside from that brief kiss a fortnight ago, Charlie hadn't been interested. And even last night, he didn't think it had been about him. But he was willing to take whatever he could get. Charlie was the only woman he'd ever thought he could fall in love with. In fact, he knew he was already falling, and hard. So, perhaps, even if last night had been borne out of something other than desire for him, something could still grow between them. He hoped so anyway.

* * *

That night, Joey had little time to think about Charlie and for that she was almost grateful. A surprise storm had thrust itself upon them and now it was all hands on deck to secure everything before she and the rest of the crew were able to hide downstairs and sit it out. Soaking wet, Joey yelled for first dibs on the shower. The others objected but she knew she could get away with it. Grabbing her toiletries and towel, Joey hurried into the tiny bathroom. Living on a trawler wasn't the most comfortable choice of accommodation but Joey kept things as nice as she could. And she was glad that the boys usually did their part. Steadying herself with the sway of the boat, she stripped off and waited for the water to heat up before stepping beneath the spray and closing her eyes on the day.

* * *

At home, Charlie and Ruby had indulged in a romantic comedy and lots of chocolate in a bid to cheer Charlie up. She had tearfully explained what had happened with Joey and then, with a hefty helping of shame, what had happened with Angelo. Thunder rumbled loudly and a flash of lightning lit up the room, making both girls jump. Charlie just felt sadder.

"Do you think she's okay out there?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm sure she's fine," Ruby said, reaching to squeeze her hand. "She's a survivor."


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you for all the lovely reviews from each different story. They were a wonderful thing to wake up to this morning. You guys all rock! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It should shed some more light on what's going on! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Five**

One month later, things had changed significantly for Charlie. She still missed Joey terribly but it was something she kept to herself. She'd gathered up everything that reminded her of her ex girlfriend and put it away in a box under the bed. There had been many nights when she had been tempted to open it up and indulge, especially knowing that she still had a hoodie that Joey left behind. Over the three months that she'd been waiting for Joey to come home, she'd hugged it and held it and used it shamelessly to breathe in Joey's scent. But she'd forced herself to stay strong and to accept that the love of her life wasn't coming home.

Through that, she had somewhat reluctantly accepted Angelo back into her world as more than friends. The day after they had first slept together, he'd come round to talk to her and she'd told him it was a mistake and she just wanted to be friends. But the weeks had passed and now they had been a couple for a fortnight. He'd been a good, supportive friend to her and helped her realise that Joey really wasn't coming home. He'd told her that he was falling in love with her and even if he was second best, he would love the chance to make it work. And so she'd given in and now they were committed and exclusive.

It wasn't the same as it had been with Joey. She'd got some hassle about it, especially from Martha. Not that she could blame her. But slowly, people were starting accept Angelo again and things were getting that little bit easier every day. Charlie knew that she would never be as happy with Angelo, or with anyone, as she would have been with Joey but Angelo's words about Joey not coming home, echoed in her ears.

"Hey," Angelo greeted, when she opened the door to him.

"Hi," Charlie replied.

Her boyfriend leant in and kissed her.

"I have a surprise for you," he declared.

She eyed him curiously.

"What is it?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?" he teased.

Taking her hand, he led her out to the car.

* * *

Joey was enjoying an afternoon off. Living and working on a trawler meant that it was very easy for her to work to the extreme, especially considering she was still trying to forget about Charlie. She'd hoped that after four weeks, she might have been able to let her go. But then, she supposed that really it had been four months and for the first three, not a single day had passed without her thinking of Charlie. Leaning over the edge of the boat, she toyed with her letter. She'd hidden it from herself for a while but she was finally preparing to get rid of it completely. She moved to throw it over the side but at the last minute, she failed to release her hand.

* * *

"What are we doing down here?" Charlie asked, her voice shrill and panicked.

They were on Joey's street. She didn't like it. Angelo climbed out of the car and moved around to the other side to open Charlie's door. He guided her out of the vehicle.

"I've packed a picnic," he said happily. "And hired a boat for the day so we can go out and..."

"No!" Charlie protested, looking stricken.

"What?" he said, concerned. "Why not?"

"I don't like boats," she lied.

Every part of her screamed that boat trips were hers and Joey's thing. There was no way she was prepared to trample on Joey's memory and all the happy times they'd had together by going on a boat trip with Angelo. It felt like she was betraying her all over again.

"Of course you do!" Angelo insisted.

Charlie shook her head.

"But you said that you and Jo..."

He trailed off and suddenly looked very upset.

"You won't do this because of her, will you?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry," Charlie said. "But I just can't. It doesn't feel right."

"You know what?" Angelo snapped. "I know I said that I'm happy to be second best but this is taking things a little far."

He glared at her. She apologised.

"Forget it," he said, heading back into the car.

Hesitantly, Charlie climbed back in too.

* * *

"Are you okay?" David asked, approaching his employee.

She was looking particularly sad today and he was worried about her. She watched him step up beside her and smiled.

"I'm fine," she lied.

"Yeah, you sure look it," he teased.

She sighed heavily, still clutching her envelope.

"Who's that from?" David asked.

Joey twirled the paper around in her hands and sighed again.

"Me," she said.

He looked confused. Joey stopped twirling and took a deep breath.

"There's this girl," she explained. "Her name's Charlie and I've been in love with her since I met her back in March. She broke my heart. That's... that's how come I ended up here. I was running away from her and Summer Bay."

Suddenly, her boss blanched. She eyed him curiously as he cursed under his breath.

"What?" she asked.

"This... Charlie?" he asked. "She wasn't um... a few years older than you, dark hair... hot?"

Joey nodded.

"Joey, I am so sorry," he apologised.

"For what?" Joey wanted to know.

"She was waiting for you," David said. "She was down at the wharf, asking where you were. I'm so sorry, Joey. I meant to tell you but what with the storm and everything... I just forgot."

Joey sighed and shook her head.

"She was probably just checking that I was leaving her life for good," she said unhappily.

"I don't think so," David said. "She had a dozen roses in her arms and she looked pretty devastated when I said you'd jumped ship early."

Joey stared at him, confused and trying not to feel hopeful that perhaps Charlie did feel something for her after all. She turned back to her letter.

"Why did she do this then?" she asked.

David studied the envelope. Charlie's address had been crossed out and above it were written the words: Unwanted Mail, Return to Sender.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_Six Weeks Ago..._

Charlie took a rather shaken Angelo back to his apartment, hoping that he would be alright. Tony had tried to kill him as revenge for killing Jack. At the last minute, Tony had changed his mind and tried to save him, only to find that Angelo didn't want to be saved. It had been touch and go for several minutes when Charlie, Martha and Hugo had shown up and Angelo had reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled back over the side of the cliff.

"Are you going to be okay?" Charlie asked worriedly.

Angelo sank onto the sofa and Charlie sat beside him. She tentatively touched his hand. He moved to curl up in her arms and cried.

* * *

The following day, with Angelo feeling a little more like himself, he and Charlie had gone to lunch together on the beach.

"Are you feeling any better?" Charlie asked.

Angelo nodded.

"I guess I'm hoping that after everything that happened yesterday, we might all be able to stat moving on," he said. "I mean, I'll never forgive myself for killing Jack and I know his family, his friends... you... nobody will ever forgive or forget either but..."

He trailed off sadly.

"I forgive you," Charlie said without thinking about it.

He looked startled and hopeful.

"I know it was an accident," Charlie ventured. "And I can't bear the way you handled it but... but who knows how they're ever going to act in that situation? You did wrong but you're trying to make things right now. It would be wrong to punish you for the rest of your life for one mistake, however big it is."

"Thank you," he said weakly.

Suddenly, he leant forward and kissed her. She took a few moments to realise what was happening and draw away, looking startled and confused.

"Angelo..."

"Sorry," he said. "I just... well, you know how I've always felt about you."

She nodded but told him firmly that she should never have let him get near her in that way.

"Because I'm a killer?" he asked worriedly, silently accusing her of lying about forgiveness.

"No," Charlie said firmly, shaking her head. "Because I'm in love with someone else."

Angelo looked confused.

"I didn't know you were seeing anyone," he said.

"I'm not. Well..."

She sighed.

"It's complicated."

"I've got time for you to explain," he said.

"I was seeing someone before you came back," Charlie ventured, trying not to become emotional at the mere thought of Joey. "Well, it was more than that. We were in love. We lived together."

"Was it this Joey guy?" Angelo asked. "I heard you had a bad break up."

Charlie nodded, picturing Joey's face and feeling a lump begin to ache in her throat.

"Joey was the best thing that ever happened to me but I stuffed it up," she said. "And now she's off on a fishing trawler for three months and I've... well, I've got to wait until she comes home to see whether we can make things work."

"She?" Angelo asked, surprised.

Charlie nodded and focussed on the sea.

"Joey's a girl," she said quietly.

"But... Well, I assumed you were straight," Angelo said, his mind reeling.

"So did I until I met her."

"She must have been pretty special," he commented.

"She is," Charlie said, allowing herself a smile, even though she felt like her heart was breaking.

Angelo studied her face, trying to process the information she was providing him with.

"Joey's the most amazing person I've ever met," Charlie said. "She's sweet and kind, she'd do anything to help anyone... And she's so funny, Angelo. She always made me laugh so much. She made me so happy. And she's beautiful. She was breathtaking. Literally. Every time I saw her...even when I was denying my feelings... she was so beautiful."

Tears filled her eyes and she hurried to wipe them away, not wanting to look like an emotional idiot.

"She was everything to me," she said. "I was so damn lucky to have her. I loved her so much and I just... I just threw it all away."

Her tears came harder. Angelo put his arm around her.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I tried to prove I was straight by sleeping with a guy," she said.

All she could see now was the look of heartbreak on Joey's face as she sailed away from her.

"I cheated on her and... quite rightfully, I lost her. But she's coming home soon and I... well, I'm hoping that she can find it in her heart to forgive me and that we can make things work."

* * *

The following morning, Angelo approached Charlie's house. Her car was being serviced so after their heart to heart the day before, she had asked him to pick her up for work. His head was still more than a little full of her revelation. She'd always been so heterosexual. It had never occurred to him that she could ever be attracted to a woman. And it was disappointing to say the least that her heart now belonged to someone else and there was no chance that things could ever work out the way he wanted to.

"Are you going to the house?" a voice asked from behind him.

Angelo turned to find the postman approaching him with a stack of letter.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Angelo said, taking them.

Walking up the path, he saw a neat envelope with Charlie's name and address on it. Curiously, he flipped it over. The return address was some PO Box somewhere. The letter was from J. Collins. Glancing up to check he hadn't been seen, Angelo shoved the letter into his pocket and brought the rest of them into the house.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_Back in Present Day..._

Joey sat in her bunk, puzzling over what to write to Charlie. David's news had surprised her to say the least and confused her even more. If Charlie didn't love her, why had she been waiting for her? And if she did love her, why had she sent her letter back unopened? And Joey was sure it had been her ex-girlfriend's handwriting. Sighing for the millionth time, Joey twirled her pen around in her hands and began to write.

* * *

A few days later, Ruby knocked on Charlie's door. Charlie opened up half dressed in her uniform. Her hair was still down and she was buttoning up her shirt.

"Hey," she greeted. "Are you alright? I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Yeah, I'm okay but... um..."

She offered up a small envelope.

"What's that?" Charlie asked, grabbing a hair band.

"I think it's from Joey," Ruby said.

Charlie stumbled back until she was sitting on the edge of her bed. Ruby came to perch beside her.

"I wasn't sure if I should give it to you," the teenager admitted. "I know you're trying to move on with Angelo and everything."

Charlie nodded. After their temporary blip a few days ago, she and her boyfriend had made up and things were going well again. Charlie had just about managed to explain that she cared a lot for him and she wanted to be with him. She just wasn't ready to do things with him that reminded her of Joey. It didn't feel right somehow. Ruby offered out the letter and Charlie took it, studying Joey's handwriting and feeling her heart lurch. Ruby patted her gently on the shoulder and told her she'd leave her to it. When the door was shut, Charlie took a deep breath and opened the envelope.

* * *

Joey was working hard and enjoying the sunshine but, as usual, her mind wasn't far from Charlie. She wondered if she'd received her letter yet. Would she return it like she had the last one? Would she bother to read it this time? Would she reply? She shook herself out of her thoughts. There was no point dwelling. She just had to get on with things and hope that something good would come out of her decision to try and contact Charlie for the final time.

* * *

Charlie's heart raced as she settled down to read Joey's letter. Before focussing on the words, she took a moment to smell the paper, to breathe in any hint of contact with the woman she loved. Forgetting all about Angelo, Charlie sat rigid on the edge of her bed and began to read.

_Dear Charlie,_

_Forgive me if this letter is clumsy. I don't really know what to write, to be honest. I'm feeling so confused right now and I don't understand what's going on._

_My boss, David, told me today that when the trawler pulled into Summer Bay, you were there. He said you had roses and you were asking after me. Why did you do that? I thought, after you sent my first letter back to me, that you didn't want to see me again. That's why I left the boat early. I didn't want to have to spend a day and a night hanging around town, knowing that you were so close and yet so far. I just couldn't bear that, Charlie. It was too much for me._

_I was so hurt when you sent my letter back to me. You didn't even bother reading it. Do you hate me that much? I know you were hurt when I left but I thought you understood why. And I thought the idea was that we would see each other again in three months and try to figure out where we stood. But then, when you rejected me, I thought that said it all._

_So, I don't understand why you were there on the docks that day. Were you just trying to rub it in or something? Hurt me that little bit more? That just doesn't sound like the Charlie I know and love. But then, I guess the Charlie I know I love wouldn't be so heartless in the first place. Oh, I just don't know what to say to you right now, Charlie. I don't even know if I will or should send this. I'm just so confused._

_Please can you just send me a note back to explain to help me try and move on? If I know what's going on with you then maybe I can begin to let you go. I know that I will always love you and that's not something I think I'll ever be able to shake. But maybe I can find some peace if you'd just be able to explain what's been happening for the last four months. If you love me, why did you reject me? And if you don't, why were you waiting for me to come back?_

_I hope you're keeping well and happy._

_All my love,_

_Joey_

_xxx_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Charlie burst out of her bedroom, clutching her letter with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Charlie!" Ruby exclaimed in alarm.

"Who got my letter from Joey?" the police officer demanded desperately.

Ruby, Leah and VJ looked confused.

"She sent me a letter!" Charlie said, her heart pounding.

"You've um... you've got it in your hand," Ruby pointed out anxiously.

"No," Charlie said. "She sent me a letter before. And she thinks I sent it back to her. Who did that to me?"

"None of us!" Ruby said, offended but worried about her big sister.

Charlie was shaking with the stress of the situation. Ruby stepped up to hold her but Charlie broke out of her grasp.

"Don't!" she snapped. "One of you stole my letter! You... you made Joey think that I didn't love her anymore!"

Tears streaked her face.

"Charlie, think about it," Leah said reasonably. "Why would any of us want to do that to you? We love you. And we love Joey."

VJ nodded emphatically. Charlie sighed heavily and sank into a chair, rubbing her temples and apologising. Ruby came to sit beside her. She held her hand.

"What did she actually say in her letter?" the teenager asked. "In this one?"

Charlie wept and handed the piece of paper over to her. Ruby read it quickly. Feeling sad, she handed it over to Leah who also scanned the note. VJ remained quiet and opted not to be a nuisance, although he was desperate to ask a million questions.

"What am I meant to do?" Charlie asked weakly. "I didn't... I didn't get a letter. I would never have sent it back to her. I wouldn't do that. I've been missing her so much and..."

She cried harder and Ruby bundled her into her arms.

"Why don't I call in sick work for you today?" Leah suggested.

It wouldn't exactly be a lie. Charlie was heartbroken.

"No," Charlie said, shaking her head. "I can't..."

"You're in no state to work, Charlie," Leah said firmly.

She stood up and headed over to the phone to call the police station.

* * *

Angelo sat at his desk, staring at the door of Charlie's vacant office. When he'd arrived, Watson had told him that Charlie had phoned in sick. He was a little bewildered. She'd seemed fine the day before. Looking at the time, he wondered if he could go and see her in his lunch break. He wanted to make sure that she was alright but she hadn't returned any of his phone calls. Standing up, he told Watson that he was heading out.

* * *

Charlie had granted Ruby the day off school and between them, they had found the address of the base Joey's trawler company worked from. Together, the girls had plotted to be proactive about Joey's letter and try and get in touch with her properly.

"Who could have sent the letter back?" Charlie wondered, keeping her eyes on the road.

She'd run through a list of names but so far, the only person she could think of that would want to keep them apart was Brett. And how would he have got hold of the letter in the first place? A list of conspiracy theories charged through her mind about him having friends in the postal service but all of it seemed a little unlikely.

"Maybe it was a mix up at the post office," Ruby suggested. "I mean, I don't even know _how _she'd send a letter from a boat. Maybe the post office just got confused or..."

"Maybe," Charlie sighed.

If that was true, she was determined to sue. If Joey hadn't written again, she might have lost her forever. She still might.

"Um... Charlie?" Ruby ventured.

Charlie glanced at her.

"What are you going to do about Angelo?"

Charlie sighed heavily and admitted that she had no idea. She cared about him and didn't want to hurt him, but he knew as well as anyone that Joey was her first and only love.

* * *

Angelo took flowers and grapes to Charlie's house and was disappointed when he found that nobody was there and Charlie's car wasn't even in the drive. Irritated and concerned, he pulled out his phone and called her again. It went to voicemail. Again. His irritation took over his concern as he stormed back to his car, still none the wiser as to where his girlfriend was.

* * *

"Joey!" David called.

The deckhand stopped working and eyed him curiously. He had a bizarrely happy smile on his face.

"What is it?" she asked with a furrowed brow.

"Someone wants to talk to you on the radio," he told her. "You don't want to miss this."

Dumping the crate she'd been carrying, she followed him into the control room. He continued to smile and handed her the radio.

"Hello?" she said uncertainly.

"Joey!"

Joey's heart lurched as she heard Charlie's desperate voice on the other end of the receiver.

"Charlie?" she asked, almost afraid to believe it.

She heard her ex-girlfriend burst into tears.

"Joey," Charlie managed. "Joey, I'm so happy to hear your voice. I got your letter this morning, I..."

Joey swallowed. She suddenly found that she had no idea what to say.

"I didn't get the last one," Charlie said. "I don't know what letter you were talking about."

"But you wrote 'unwanted mail, return to sender' on it," Joey said weakly.

"I would never do that!" Charlie said desperately.

Joey struggled to control her own tears.

"I don't know what happened," Charlie said. "But I was waiting for you. I love you so much, Joey."

"I love you too," Joey replied tearfully.

David nudged her and said they would be docking in three days time in a town about five hours away from Summer Bay. Joey eagerly relayed the message.

"I'll be waiting," Charlie promised.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Charlie was a bag of nerves as she waited for Angelo to arrive. She had been more than a little jubilant as she and Ruby had driven home and she finally felt like things were slotting into place again. Now all she had to do was end things with Angelo and then she and Joey would be free to be together again. At least, she hoped so anyway. She jumped when there was a knock on the door. Leaping to her feet, she opened the door and found Angelo standing there with flowers and grapes. He leant in to kiss her. She offered up her cheek only and his heart sank.

"I figured if you were feeling ill I should get something," he said weakly.

She thanked him and busied herself with putting the flowers in a vase. She put the grapes in the fridge and led the way to the living room.

"So, what was wrong?" Angelo asked. "You don't look sick."

"I wasn't," Charlie admitted.

He waited expectantly for her to explain.

"I got in touch with Joey," Charlie ventured. "She sent me a letter..."

Angelo blanched. Charlie noticed. She hadn't even broken up with him yet and he was already panicking. Charlie felt terrible.

"Ruby and I managed to talk to her and... I'm going up to see her in a few days. We're hopefully going to try again."

Angelo's shock turned into bitterness.

"So, where does that leave me?" he demanded in a low voice.

"I'm sorry," Charlie said weakly. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you but..."

"But you're damn well going to do it anyway?" he snapped.

"I'm sorry," Charlie said again.

He leant over and took her hand.

"I thought we had something special, Charlie," Angelo said. "I thought you were going to let Joey go and start again with me. I thought..."

He looked overcome with emotion and dropped her hand to rub his eyes.

"Angelo, I really care about you," Charlie said. "And I think that... maybe in a different life, you and I could have made it work. You're everything I'd want in a guy but..."

"You don't want a guy?" he accused.

"It's not about gender," Charlie said firmly. "I lost my heart to Joey months ago. She turned my life upside down and I messed up so badly. If I have a chance to make things right, I have to take it."

Angelo turned back to her a little sharply.

"If this is about guilt," he said. "You don't have to..."

"It's not about guilt," Charlie told him. "I'm in love with her. I always have been."

"Then what the hell have you been doing with me for the last month?"

Charlie wanted to say she'd been settling but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. She felt guilty enough. How awful must it be to get dumped and be told that it was because your girlfriend was in love with someone else? Angelo stood up quickly.

"I should never have interfered," he said bitterly. "I should have just left you to it. When you said after that kiss that you wanted to be with her and not me... I should have damn well let you."

He stormed back out through the door. Helplessly, Charlie let him go.

* * *

Two days later, Charlie said goodbye to Ruby and headed over to the town Joey was due to be arriving in. The idea was that she would check into a hotel – no expense spared – and be fresh faced and ready to meet Joey down at the docks, the way she was meant to the previous month. She was a bag of nervous excitement and she just hoped that tomorrow would bring everything she craved. She longed to see Joey again, to talk to her face to face, to hold her, take in her beauty and maybe, if she was lucky, commit to her physically and emotionally, the way they were meant to be.

* * *

It was Joey's last night on board and David had told her in no uncertain terms that, although he would be sad to lose such a good worker, he wanted her to be happy and to follow her heart. Joey was terrified of how tomorrow would turn out but she had hope. Charlie had laid her heart on her sleeve and she knew that that had taken a lot of courage. She'd also told her that she loved her. Walking back on deck, she jumped when her colleagues began cheering. Then she burst out laughing as they had adorned the boat with makeshift bunting and laid a table of food in a bid to say their farewells.


	10. Chapter 10

_How's this for irony, considering the title of this fic? Back in October, I sent Home and Away a strongly worded letter condemning their misrepresentation of homosexuality, women and their interpretation of a positive relationship. I got a Return to Sender this week! They didn't even open it! How rude! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the reunion. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Ten**

It was early the following morning when Joey docked. With some anxiety, she stepped off the boat and looked around. Her heart leapt into her throat when she saw Charlie, looking as beautiful as she ever had, standing and waiting for her with a large bouquet of roses in her arms. The two women smiled at each other before breaking into a run. Charlie just about managed to move the roses out of the way before she swept Joey up and into her arms. She tried not to cry but the feeling of having Joey back with her was overwhelming. Squeezing her eyes shut, she held on tight and took several deep breaths, inhaling Joey's scent and falling more deeply in love with her as the seconds passed. Reluctantly, Joey withdrew and gazed longingly into Charlie's eyes, wanting to memorise her every feature and take all of her in. She reached out with one hand and stroked Charlie's smooth skin before moving in and brushing her lips ever so gently against hers. Charlie smiled into the kiss, pulling Joey in a little closer. They kissed for several long minutes, forgetting about the world around them and only caring about each other. Finally breaking apart, both women blushed and smiled.

"I um... I bought you some flowers," Charlie said, waving the bouquet.

Joey grinned.

"So I see," she said. "Thank you."

"Shall we um...? I booked a hotel room..."

"Oh really?" Joey teased.

Charlie cringed.

"I didn't mean it like that!" she said. "I just thought... privacy and... oh, shit."

Seeing how stressed she looked, Joey stroked her face and guided her until she was looking into her eyes.

"I'm teasing," she said. "Privacy sounds like a good idea. I guess we've got a lot to talk about."

Charlie nodded. She handed Joey the flowers and politely picked up her bags. Joey thanked her and together, they walked towards the car.

* * *

Back at Charlie's hotel room, she and Joey were again feeling shy. Sitting on the bed, face to face with their legs crossed, they held hands. Joey had regaled Charlie with stories of her time at sea and Charlie had caught Joey up on Ruby's decision to take the next step with Xavier and telling her about Aden and Belle getting married. She still, however, had no idea how to tell her about Angelo.

"So, you really didn't get my letter?" Joey finally asked.

Charlie shook her head.

"The first one I got was this one," she said, pulling a folded envelope from her pocket. "I thought you'd just decided not to come home. I thought... I thought you didn't love me anymore. I thought you'd decided you couldn't forgive me."

"I do forgive you," Joey said sincerely. "I missed you so much that after a few weeks, I was pretty much counting the days until I got to see you again. And I thought, well, if I miss you this much and if I'm still so in love with you after all those weeks and everything that happened... I knew I must have forgiven you. I was desperate to get home and start again. But I was scared too, just in case you didn't want me and... and I wrote to you to tell you how I felt. But I got a return to sender and..."

She sighed heavily. Standing up, she delved into one of her bags and pulled out the precious note. Resuming her position on the bed, she handed it over. Charlie licked her lips and turned it over in her hands a couple of times.

"Can I read it?" she asked.

"I was hoping to go for a shower in a sec," Joey said. "The facilities on a fishing trawler really aren't a dream! It'd be nice to clean up properly. I feel like I've stunk to high heaven for four months."

"You smell good," Charlie said.

Joey smiled.

"Who do you think would have interfered and sent the letter back?" she asked.

Charlie's face fell with realisation. Angelo's words during their break up echoed in her mind.

"He wouldn't have..." she said unhappily.

"Who?" Joey asked.

Charlie looked immediately guilty. Joey was uncomfortable.

"When you didn't come home," Charlie ventured. "I was so upset and I ended up..."

She sighed heavily.

"Did you sleep with someone?" Joey asked anxiously.

Charlie nodded.

"I dated a guy called Angelo for a few weeks. As soon as I got your letter, I broke up with him but... I was with him a couple of weeks and I... well, I slept with him the night you didn't come home."

"You really missed me!" Joey remarked, hurt, despite herself.

Charlie looked crestfallen and quickly apologised.

"I thought we were over, Joey," she said desperately. "I thought I'd lost you forever and..."

She closed her eyes, feeling her one last chance slip away from him.

"It's okay," Joey said gently.

She reached out and held her hands again. They managed to smile at each other.

"Nothing, um... nothing happened while you were waiting for me, did it?" Joey asked.

Charlie blanched. Joey dropped her hands, feeling her heart breaking all over again.

"It was just a kiss," Charlie said.

Joey's expression was set and she didn't quite know what to say.

"I didn't mean to. It just happened..."

"Like it just happened with Hugo?" Joey asked quietly.

Charlie looked devastated. Joey matched her expression.

"Charlie, I _have _forgiven you but I need to know... is this going to happen again?"

"No!" Charlie exclaimed. "No! Joey, I swear... All that happened with Angelo when I was waiting for you was that he kissed me and I pulled away. And then I burst into tears and told him all about you but... I guess his lips were on mine for like a second or something, so technically I did kiss him. But it wasn't like that. I promise you it wasn't like that. I..."

"Charlie, breathe," Joey said gently, squeezing her hands.

Charlie obeyed, tears stinging her eyes. She'd always intended to tell Joey everything. She just hadn't meant for it to all tumble out this way.

"It's okay," Joey said. "It's okay."

"But you were so upset with me..."

"And then you explained," Joey replied. "It's okay."

Charlie took a few more deep breaths and wiped her eyes. Her heart was racing with the fear that she might still lose Joey after all.

"Do you think this Angelo guy stole my letter then?" Joey asked.

"Well, I have no evidence but when I broke up with him, he mentioned something about interfering. I didn't think about it at the time but... maybe. When did you send it?"

"Two weeks before I was due back," Joey said, pointing at the postmark on the envelope.

"That makes sense," Charlie said. "That's when he kissed me and I said nothing could happen. And now I think about it, he did bring our post in for us one of those days."

She and Joey both sighed.

"Well, let's draw a line under everything now," Joey said. "Regardless of who did what, we're together now. We're here, in the same place and we both want to move on with our lives."

Charlie nodded.

"Do you mind if I take a shower?" Joey asked.

"Sure," Charlie said. "There's shower gel and shampoo and everything in there from home."

Joey nodded and thanked her. She leant over and pressed her lips softly against Charlie's cheek.

"I don't know where you stand exactly," she said. "But everything I wrote in the first message, I still feel."

Charlie watched her head into the bathroom and close the door. Sinking back against the pillows, she eagerly opened up.


	11. Chapter 11

_Just because Eatmywords asked so nicely, here is an extra chapter. This is the missing letter that Joey sent to Charlie. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Eleven**

My dearest Charlie,

It's been two and a half months since I last saw you and every day has felt so long. I'm so excited to know that in two weeks, I will get to gaze into your beautiful eyes again and hopefully return to your arms. But I'm scared too. And I guess that's why I'm writing.

You once went to spend a few days with your Dad because you said you needed to get away from me. We'd kissed and you were confused about your feelings. I wanted to help you through them but you said I couldn't because you couldn't think clearly around me. I didn't understand it at the time but I do now. Being out here at sea, the place I call home, and doing work that I love, has really helped me collect my thoughts.

I know falling for me wasn't part of your plan. I know it threw you though a loop and you found it impossible to handle. So, I would like to say sorry if I pushed too hard. I was just so crazy about you that I guess that's all I could think about. You hurt me so much when you were messing me around, Charlie. But I forgave you that because I loved you so much. The moment you told me you wanted to be with me for real was one of the most wonderful moments of my life and it's something I will always treasure. Then you broke my heart all over again by cheating on me and then lying about it. To be honest, I don't know what hurt more – the betrayal or the lies.

But anyway, this time away has really helped me figure out how I feel. Not a day has gone by without thinking of you. I wish you good morning when I wake up and you're always the last thing I think of before I go to sleep. I'm still listening to songs that remind me of you and I wonder if a photograph can be worn out by someone looking at it too much.

How have things been for you since I have been away? I hope you have been okay. And totally selfishly, I hope you have been missing me! And I hope you still love me. I also hope that you've had time to think about everything that's happened and that when I come home, you'll be able to tell me that you know who and what you want now. And I hope that it's me.

I needed time away from the Bay, from you, from my brother and from everything that hurt me this year. And now I've had it, I know what I want. I love you so much, Charlie. I'm still as in love as I ever was and, if you'll have me, I will be docking in two weeks, ready to start again. But I'm frightened. I'm scarred by the image of you crying on the dock when I left and I hope nothing has happened to make you hate me. And I'm worried that you won't want me when I get home.

So, please Charlie, can you write and let me know what you're thinking and how you're feeling? Can you tell me if you want to be with me or not? And can you tell me if you want me to come home? I swear to you, that if you want me, I'm yours. I'm right here, ready for the taking, ready to make a go of things and try to rebuild our relationship. But I know I'd never cope if I came back and you rejected me. To be honest, I'd rather I stayed away if that's the case. I've been getting into a state over it all as the date of my return gets closer. So, please let me know if you want me. If you do, nothing will keep me away from you. And if you don't, just say so and I'll never bother you again.

I know things turned out badly between us but however you respond to this letter, I want you to know that I don't regret a thing. You saved my life – figuratively and literally and you will always be someone that I think about with love and affection. I don't regret a thing and I know that even if I'd have known how it was all going to end up, I would have done it all the same. I would have loved you anyway, without hesitation. For all the bad times, I hold onto the good times and you will always be the most wonderful woman I have ever had the joy of knowing. I love you so much, Charlie and I desperately look forward to hearing from you.

All my love forever,

Joey


	12. Chapter 12

_This is the penultimate chapter and I am currently debating which story to post next. I have a story called 'Falling in Love' which is based on the original storyline and 'Unforgiven' which I haven't finished writing yet but it's a post-break up fic that I hope hasn't been done before. Any preferences? Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Twelve**

Joey switched the water off and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping herself in a big, fluffy, white towel, she dried off, wondering what Charlie would think of what she had written. Reaching for another towel, she dried off her hair and used Charlie's brush to put it into some kind of order. Checking her reflection in the mirror, having wiped some of the steam away, Joey took a deep breath and opened the door out onto the bedroom. She paused when she saw Charlie curled up in a tight ball on the double bed, the letter clutched in her hand. Joey swallowed uncertainly as she watched her, quickly realising that Charlie was crying. Approaching softly, her bare feet on the carpet, Joey perched on the bed. Charlie looked up at her with red rimmed eyes. It broke Joey's heart.

"We've missed out on so much time," the older woman said softly.

Joey nodded and pulled Charlie into her arms, holding her close. She stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. Shifting silently, they snuggled back against the pillows in each other's loving embrace.

* * *

It was two hours before either Charlie or Joey spoke again. They'd held each other for a long while, eventually falling asleep together. Fluttering her eyes open a little reluctantly, Charlie held her breath, not quite allowing herself to believe that she and Joey could be back together again. She breathed a sigh of relief when she gazed upon the still sleeping brunette and realised that it was all true. Joey was right there in her arms, looking peaceful and content. And, most importantly, she didn't look like she was going anywhere. Smiling to herself, Charlie took a moment to gaze at the woman she loved. Her hair was longer, drying naturally and slowly, having made a damp patch on Charlie's arm. Her skin was tanned and smooth and she slept so serenely. Her smile widened when she saw Joey begin to stir. Joey woke and gazed lovingly into Charlie's eyes, looking equally relieved that none of this had been a dream.

"I'd forgotten how wonderful it feels to wake up in your arms," she whispered.

Charlie smiled even more and kissed the top of Joey's head, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Sorry I fell asleep though," the deckhand added.

"It's fine," Charlie replied. "I fell asleep too."

They giggled softly and hugged a little closer. Joey stretched and yawned, wondering how long Charlie had the room until.

"We have to be out by eleven tomorrow morning," Charlie said.

"So... we could spend the night together?" Joey asked hopefully.

Then she blushed at the accidental insinuation.

"I mean... we don't have to... I didn't mean... it doesn't have to be anything you don't want it to be. I'd... I'd just like to spend some time together."

She smiled a little shyly and Charlie matched her expression.

"I feel the same," she said. "I want to spend time with you. We have so much to catch up on. I... I just want to look at you. I want to memorise your face, breathe you in. I never want to stop touching you."

A tear fell. She moved to brush it away, embarrassed but Joey caught her hand, not wanting her to hide away from her feelings. Charlie kissed her fingertips.

"Joey, I need to tell you how sorry I am," she said earnestly. "I messed everything up, right from the start and I hate myself for it. Losing you was the single worst mistake I've ever made. I messed you around, I hurt you so badly... and that was before I... before I cheated on you. And then... then I had the chance to win you back weeks ago and I lost it. I shouldn't have just left it there, Joey. I should have got in touch with you. I could have called. I should have..."

She trailed off as her tears began to flow more readily. Joey gently reached out and stroked her face.

"You did hurt me," she said honestly. "But that's over with now. We can move on. We can start again... if you want to. Do you want to?"

"Desperately," Charlie said without hesitation.

"Then there is no room for hate here," Joey said firmly, gazing into Charlie's eyes. "We've both made mistakes but personally, I vote that we draw a line under everything bad that happened and start afresh. I really feel like we can make it work this time, Charlie."

"I'd like that," Charlie said.

She leant in a little anxiously and brushed her lips against Joey's. She smiled as the younger woman responded and wrapped her arms more tightly around her shoulders. When they eventually parted, they rested their foreheads together and smiled.

"And for the record," Charlie added. "You didn't do anything wrong. I could never have asked for a more perfect partner. I just wish I hadn't been dumb enough not to realise what I had before it was too late."

"But I pushed you though," Joey said meekly. "You weren't ready to be my girlfriend and I..."

She sighed heavily and squeezed Charlie's hands.

"I don't want to do that this time," she said. "You can set the pace. We can spend the night here together but nothing has to happen... you know, physically, if you don't want it to. I don't want to rush you. I don't want to make a mistake."

Charlie felt her heart break all over again at the thought that Joey believed she'd been the one to get things wrong.

"I wasn't ready to come out," she said. "That much was obvious. But everything that happened between me and you... I was happy. I don't regret any of the love we shared. I just regret the bits in between. But the me and you stuff..."

She grinned.

"Those were the best experiences of my life."

They kissed again.

"They were the best experiences of _my_ life," Joey said. "And I can't even begin to describe how happy I am that we're getting a second chance."

"Me too," Charlie said.


	13. Chapter 13

_And here this story comes to a close and I shall be back momentarily with the first chapter of 'Unforgiven'. I hope you enjoy both. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Thirteen**

The hours passed dreamily and slowly and neither Charlie nor Joey wanted the day to end. They'd continued talking for a good long while and kissed a good long while after that. It felt amazing to be back together again, to get to know each other the way they once had. Charlie had wondered what she ought to do about Angelo but Joey was keen to let it go. If he'd lied, it didn't matter because he hadn't got the result he'd wanted. They'd found their way back to each other anyway because nothing was ever going to keep them apart. Holding onto anger and resentment was never going to help. Being together was what counted. Realising that neither girl had eaten all day, they reluctantly headed down to the hotel restaurant for dinner.

Now, hand in hand, they waited for the elevator back up to their room. The doors opened and they stepped inside. They were back in each other's arms as soon as the doors closed again. Charlie felt her whole body tingle just by being close to Joey again and she could hardly believe she'd ever let anyone else ever touch her. Hugo had been an awful, awful mistake and while she'd had the best of intentions with Angelo, even if she'd never had the chance to win Joey back, she knew he would always have been an inferior partner. Joey had stolen her heart months ago and now Charlie never intended to look back.

She nudged Joey back into the corner of the lift, placing her hands on her hips and kissing her passionately. Joey moaned against her lips, hooking her leg round Charlie's waist and pulling her closer. She ran her hands through Charlie's hair, closing her eyes, never wanting the moment to end. The pausing of the lift and the ping of the doors opening pulled them reluctantly apart. An elderly couple walked in. Flushed, Charlie and Joey broke apart and slipped out onto the landing, hurrying towards their room.

* * *

Once inside the small double room, Charlie and Joey fell into each other's arms again. It felt excitingly new and yet comfortably familiar. This was the way it was always meant to be. Charlie kissed Joey one more time, reaching out to stroke her hair. She smiled lovingly at her, feeling suddenly shy.

"I know we've pretty much made out all day," she ventured. "But um... we don't have to do anything you don't want. I'm not expecting..."

Joey smiled and kissed her, stroking her face and gazing into Charlie's eyes.

"I want to be with you," she said softly. "If... if you want."

She sought confirmation, which Charlie readily provided.

"We've wasted so much time," Charlie said, trying not to get emotional and silly. "I can't even begin to describe how happy I am that we're..."

She trailed off, smiling and definitely feeling silly. Leaning in, she kissed Joey again. After several moments, they managed to make their way to the bed. Charlie guided Joey back onto the mattress, settling on top of her and kissing her more passionately. Joey reached up and wrapped her arms around Charlie's neck, pulling her in closer. Charlie trailed her lips along Joey's jaw and down her neck, daring to cup her breast with her left hand. Joey giggled as a thrill rushed through her.

"I've missed you so much," she breathed.

Charlie kissed her again, stroking her hand up and down Joey's body.

"I've missed you too," she said. "I love you so much and I never ever want to lose you again."

Joey reached out and ran her fingers through Charlie's soft hair.

"You won't," she promised.

They melted together in more kisses, gathering momentum as love fuelled passion.

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning when Charlie and Joey finally fell back against the sheets for the last time. Charlie lay on her back and Joey snuggled into her. They held hands.

"I didn't know it was possible to go that long!" Charlie giggled.

Joey laughed and kissed her girlfriend's collarbone.

"Well, if you do go with people who aren't me..." she teased.

Charlie's smile faded, even though she knew Joey was joking. But it pained her now to think of boyfriends – and specifically Hugo and Angelo. She felt like she had made so many mistakes and she'd spent her whole life pretending until she'd met Joey. Noting Charlie's silence, Joey shifted and looked into her eyes, assuring her that she was just joking.

"I know," Charlie said softly. "I just wish..."

"There's no need to wish," Joey said firmly. "We both made mistakes, Charlie. But we can't dwell on the past. We need to enjoy the present and look to the future. Together. We've got a real chance to make it work this time."

Charlie nodded, clutching her a little closer and accepting her reassuring kisses.

"This is the first day of the rest of our lives," Joey added.

Charlie smiled.

"Thank you for giving us another shot," she said. "Thank you for coming home. For coming back to me."

Joey smiled back, resting her body atop Charlie's and making herself comfortable.

"Where else would I ever want to be?" she asked.


End file.
